Trillium 10K Race

This was my fifth consecutive Trillium Run and the first time that my Wife and any of my 5 children tagged along. To top it off Carrie did the 5K Walk , Noah did the 5K Run. The weather was really iffy, race time was 09:30 am we left home at 08:20 and it was pouring rain with a bit of Thunder. We arrived in Mount Forest around 08:50, it was still raining but had let up a little. Most of the post race activity was getting Noah registered and picking up race kits and chips! Before I knew it we were out the door watching the 10K in line skaters head out. The rain had stopped and the temp was about 13C , overcast and almost no breeze but the air was really heavy. Moments after the skaters were off they called the 10K participants to the line.....

The race plan was 4K at 4:30, 3K at 4:15 and the final 3K at 4:00. I started out running with with Frank from the run clinic and Anne from Hanover. Both had sub 45:00 goal and the plan was to pace then through the first few K's . The start was uneventfully , trying not to go out too fast was the goal and it was done in 4:19. At the 1K marker there was a photographer and Anne was hamming it up and reminded me to smile! I was feeling pretty good through 2K but I knew we were going out a little too fast . I tried to slow down a bit but the 2nd K as done in 4:20. I was in stride with Anne through 3K , Frank was right on our tail. A few runners blew by us between 2 and 3K . I thought to myself that these guys were going to break 42:00 or I was going to catch them at the later stages of the race. The 3rd K was done in 4:26 , Anne dropped off the pace and I had no idea where Frank was but I knew he wouldn't be far behind. I naturally dropped pace and the 4th K was done in 4:27 , this was good. The 5th K was starting to get hard , this was where my wheels fell off in the last 10K a year ago and I was beginning to doubt I could pick it up to the planned 4:15 pace , finished this K in 4:22 7 seconds off but I had some time in the bank so it was OK. The 6th K I passed one of the guys that blew by me earlier , my breathing and heart rate were pegged. I was really beginning to feel it but I kept thinking about executing my race plan on the treadmill and how I had waves of feeling like I couldn't followed by moments of its OK I can do this , 6th K was done in 4:18. Now I was slowly closing on 2 more runners that had passed me earlier , they were sticking together ... I thought about tucking in behind them and following but I seemed to close on them quickly so I went by. I had a vision of them passing me later on, the rest of the race I never looked back but I was sure I could hear their foot strikes not to far behind. The 7th K was done in 4:19, now the plan was to pick it up to a 4:00 pace for the last 3Ks! I just didn't have the 02 to do it , I felt that he legs would carry me but when I pushed things started to go black so I had to back off . My new plan was to hold my 4:20 pace for the next 2Ks and then push hard on the the finish. There was one other runner that I though I could catch and it seemed like I was closing on him. 8th K was done in 4:17... the new plan was working, now to push hard for the next 2K. There was a bit of a hill in the 9th K , a 10m gain over 500m. Normally I wouldn't have noticed that sort of incline but the 02 was red lining and I had no choice but to slow the pace a bit , the 9th K was done in 4:26. I was a bit bummed at this point because I knew I would not achieve a 42:XX finish. I seemed to have closed to within 30m of the guy I was trying to pass, my push in the last K was to try to catch him. The last K was by far the toughest, I pushed hard and ended up with a 4:07 pace but I didn't manage to catch the fellow in front but he made for an awesome target! Best thing about crossing the finish was hearing Noah yell out "DAD", I didn't see him but hearing him yell out was a moment I will always remember!

9 2423 Ronald Irwin 43:30 LM40-49 3/10 8 4:21 43:29 Durham

I finished 9th out of 59 participants , 3rd out of 10 in the Masters Division in a Chip Time of 43:29. This was a new PB for me , my previous best 10K was 44:51 set in 2007 at the Trillium Run.

Noah rocked , actually he ran! He is a 9 year old that cant stop moving and it served him well!

138 4177 Noah Bertrand 33:13 SM-9 2/2 54 6:39 33:13 Durham

Noah finished 2nd in his age group out of 2 runners. He was glowing on the podium getting his medal. I am very proud of his accomplishment!

The day was a first for my Wife Carrie! She was really surprised by the support of fellow runners and walkers and was totally blown away be the folks standing on their front laws cheering everyone on. Carrie shared the day with a friend from work , this was a first for Vivian too. Carrie told me about a really cute moment that they had .... the were strolling along when suddenly Vivian was totally disgusted by a mess of paper cups that were on the road , she commented to Carrier " who would ever leave such a mess....." , my wife was quick to point out that it was an aid station and you grab a quick drink and discard the cup on the road. Like an experience pro Vivian grabbed a glass , took a swig and threw it down....cute!

11 901 Carrie Bertrand 47:35 WALKF 6/25 6 9:31 47:34 Durham

Franks and Anne had great finishes , I watched and cheered as they both crossed the line. The look of pain of Franks face said it all , he was giving it 110%!

14 2448 Frank Vander Meulen 45:31 LM40-49 4/10 12 4:34 45:30 Durham

15 2456 Anne McClitche 45:40 LF30-39 2/6 3 4:34 45:39 Hanover

We are all ready planning our next family event... Saturday August 8, 2009 the 2nd Annual Colleen Lantz Memorial Run 4 Youth in Neustadt Ontario! http://www.run4youth.ca/. This will be my first 5K ever. Who knows , I may be able to coax a couple of more of my children to participate!